Key Technology: 4K vs. 2K HD TVs

Televisions seem to be evolving at a rapid rate! In the last decade, we’ve jumped up from bulky square TV sets, to sleek flat screens; switched from standard definition to HD pictures; and rather than just watching broadcast TV, plenty of content is now streamed online. Now, the next big thing in TVs has arrived on the market, and it’s evoking the same responses of awe from people that HD pictures first received all those years ago.

It’s called Ultra HD (also known as UHD or 4K), and its quality is about four times that of existing HD TVs sitting in living rooms around Australia. That intense clarity comes from a greater density of pixels in the screen, which has been bumped up fourfold from the HD standard. This kind of picture quality is not just on TV screens, either. On every screen-device around, sharpness of picture is increasing – many people will know the surprise of moving from an older phone to a new one with a markedly better screen.

UHD TVs are at their best displaying content optimised for them, which currently includes the latest generation of videogame consoles, Blu-Ray discs and other items that are still coming to market.

The stunning clarity of UHD televisions also means that people can sit closer to the TV without having the picture go blurry as many other TV models do. Just don’t let those eyes go square!

Unlike older TV models, UHD screens are being designed with the new way we consume entertainment in mind. Aussies no longer simply ‘watch TV’; there’s plenty to be streamed online, we play lots of video games and we generally like to access our own media when we want it. That’s why all 4K TVs are also Smart TVs, designed to be the centre of home entertainment.

Probably the best thing about UHD is that its massive quality jump means it’s really a good chance to future-proof the living room. Technology will eventually eclipse 4K quality, but it will not be for many, many years to come. So, to have Ultra HD is to be prepared for the best quality entertainment for several years.